Coupler for air lines



R.T. MeELHOsE 2,450,808

'COUPLER FOR 4AIR LINES Oct. 5, 1948.

Filed Jan. 25, 1946 a l MA/vm s nz ffl] 2z gmluwnlhlmi wwf/dir n u @ess n '4 ,WWE-Mm Patented Oct. 5, 1948 U T l 2,450,802# l COUBEER FOR LINES Robert Theodore Mclhose, alminh. Pa...

Application January 25, 1946,- Scal 'oi- 643,264

4 claims, (c1. assisoli- The present invention relates to a novel and improved coupler whichV is especially but; not necessarily, adapted for use in conjunction with so-cal-led air lines and the. obvious: purpose of. the invention is to structurally,y functionally and otherwise improve upon prior couplers possessed of fundamentally simi-lar characteristics.

The outstanding purpose of the invention is tu provide a coupler construction charac-terizedv by male and female parts, the female part being connected to the air supply pipe. or line,4 the male parts being readily-connectible therewith and dis; connectible therefrom and. the accomplishment of this being with one handonly.

More speciLiically, the novelty is predicated upon a-` coupler characterized by a. unique female. unit hav-ing therein a friction ball clutch or gri-p device, this being bodily movable against the tension :of a coacting spring, and said clutch device and Vspring being. move-d to. a position to release thecoacting male coupler unit in a feasible and practicable manner, the. latter to. be hereinafter specically set forth. 1

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same Figure 1 is atop plan View' of the coupler seen in Figure 3,v this being one form of the invention Iiereiii depicted', described.' and' claimed;

" Figure 2 is .a bottom plan view of the same.

' Figure 3' is a central Vertical sectional View, partly in elevation, this taken approximately on the plane of the line 3 3' of Figuresz 1 and 2", re`= spectivel'y, looking;A in theI direction of thev respect-l tive arrows. l

Figure 4 is a view like Figure- 3' showing the male coupler unit projecting into the femaleunit to a `position necessary for actuating the -lia'all clutch andre'leasing and dise'n-gagingV said male Figure 5 is a vieWshoW-ing the units in the process :of being separated for disengagement puri poses.

Figure 6 is a horizontal section` on the'l plane' of the line 6 6 of Figure 5f, lookingV the direction of the arrows'.

Figure 'I is a View similar to Figure 3? butfshow'- ing a: modined typev of coupler" construction.:

Figure 81 is a view lilize'l Figure but snowingf the 'male coupler unit'. oi one-pieceiconstructiori.

Figure 9` is a4 view' basen' onthe torni of the in..

. 2 I vention. seen in Figures 1 .toi 6.', inclusive,y this: view serving to show the male coupler unit of one-'piece'- constrnctioxi. f

Figure 10- `a horizontal section on the plane. of the line til-i-A t8' o Figure 9, thislokirig in the direction of the arrows;

Reierence is had tothe form of the invention shown in Figures 1to` 6, inclusive. This: construe; tion can best; be seen, Ait is believed, in Figures 3 to 5,Y inclusive;1 In these: vlatterl figures .it will be observed. that the'soe-calld outer orI iemale. pier unit. is denoted by the: reference character A whereas, the' companion male coupler unit. vis generally denoted the reference letter 'Bc The' part or" `unit A is. characterized by' 'a cylindrical shell |52 of appropriate .proportions hai/fingault'id ting 13. threaded atti into one` end. lift ting is provided with a boreor passage 5 and ascre'w threaded-connection t6 which, in practice,- is' connected to the-air Isupply pipe (notfshowr-i);

Fitted in: the clsuainloer in the cylinder t2 isa cage having a iiange Il, said cage generally de# noted: by the numeral I8; and also' including a sleeve portion lai slidable in an accommodation hol-e 2U. The sleeve isaperturedz to accommodate aserie's of circumierentially spaced: friction clutch nails 2t. icones 'springis also'. in tno said spring iridiatd at'. 22 aridbearzrig against use frange n at one end: and. bearing against the plugl t4 at the oppositeendl.`

:une mais coupler una :comprises a cylindrical sorry .or navi-ng a tool nut ad@ and a nose nipple 25. The stein also has; a reduced' portion 26 and a further reducedscrew-threaded necliz'h This `neckY threads-into a socliet foifrned: one end o?? the pilotelrnei-i-t '283.-

airi passage 28d: is formed til-rouen the parts iorriiing' Said -rnale unit as' s'hlwi, this order toI feedtllle ailr through the coupler? an obi'ious mannen I call atterri tio-n tota release or collar '218 which litsA between the sleeve' I andi surrounds the reduced portion Z6.- Tnei interior of the Vcyl nd" cal body t2? is -t'apeife asl at'. Si to accommodate the clutctballs't. f

Figulife 31- shows t'lies coupler in its locked posi-V tici-ii.- 'The balls- M? are resting? ac'avity 305166; tween the stein 26 -and the i-rirti'onf ring. .2.9. To release counter", the :nale part is pusifieer farther into the 'fern-ale part; When the male part has travelect 'so/far; it moves the bali cage F81 in the 2l ar'e-a tree te be forceds out or' the space between ring- 25 and pilot 28.` Since the spring 2% isE compression the. cage EH is forced by the' springt@ move: the.` balls' forward and the? balls. grip. frctionring 29 tightly' as shown in Figure 4, and since the friction ring is a sliding fit on plunger it is held stationary by the balls while the male coupler is being pulled out. As the male part is pulled out, the cavity between the pilot and the friction ring or collar is now closing, and as soon as the pilot comes in contact with said friction ring (as shown in Figure 5) it allows the balls to slide from the outside diameter of thefriction ring tothe 4outside diameter of the pilot 28, which must be equal to or smallerl than the diameter of the ring 29, thus way out.

Referring now to Figure 7 showing .ai modification, the female part or unit is denoted byz the numeral C and the male unit by the reference numeral D. The assembly or unit ,CI comprises a cylindrical casing 3| with a closing plug `32 in the threaded end, said plug 32 having a screw hole 33 and serving to hold in place a centrally apertured partition or guide washer 34, this being held against the shoulder as shown and serving to accommodate the packing washer 35 and va sleeve 3B. This forms sort of a chamber for the pilot end 3l of the female coupler unit. In this particular instance there is a valve element 38 coacting with the passage 33 and normally pressed to closed position by a suitable coiled spring 39. The larger coiled spring 4B, as before indicated, coacts with the cage 4l, said cage having a sleeve 42 and flange 43, the sleeve operatingY in an aperture in the body or shell 3.! as shown. Here again the male coupler unit has telescopic connection with the female unit and passes through the opening in the bottom and through the guide opening inthe parts 34 'and 3-5 and engages the valve 38. The main stem part 44 has a tool nut 45, a nipple 46 and a threaded neck 4l'on the reduced portion 48, the latter surrounded by the release ring or collar 49 and eoacting friction clutch or gripping balls 50 l All of the parts in the female coupler unit seen in Figure 8 are identical with those seen in Figure '7 and are therefore designated by the same reference numerals, this to avoid confusion. The male coupler unit is however, differentiated by the'letter E and this comprises the single stem 5| with a passage therethrough for delivery of the air, said stem having a tool nut 52, a nipple 53 for the hose, 4a main body or shoulder portion 54 for the collar 55. The stem is provided with a horseshoe washer 56 fitting into a suitable groove provided therefor.

Referring now to the modification seen in Figure 9 it is to be explained that as far as the female coupler unit is concerned it is exactly the same in construction as the one seen in Figures 3, 4 and 5 and therefore the same numerals are employed to designate the same/parts. The male coupler unit is like the one shown in Figure 8, that is, it is a one-piece instead of a twopiece construction as in Figures -1 `to 7. To avoid difficulties this particular unit may be differentiated by the reference letter F, the same comprising a one-piece stem including the relatively large shoulder portion 5l', tool flange or nut 58 and associated hose accommodation nipple 59. The main shank of the stem composed of integrated parts 60 and 6l is formed with a groove B2 to accommodate a horseshoe washer 63 operating in the sleeve portion IS of the ball cage.

Tlie operation of the modification seen in Figures 7, 8 and 9 is the same as that already described in connection with Figures 3, 4 and 4 5 and therefore repetition of such description is considered not essential.

A careful consideration of the foregoing description in conjunction with the invention as illustrated in the drawings will enable the reader to obtain a clear understanding and impression of the alleged features of merit and novelty sufficient to clarify the construction of the invention `as hereinafter claimed.

`Minor changes in shape', size, materials and rearrangement of parts may be resorted to in actual practice so long as no departure is made from the invention as claimed.

l. A female coupler unit for use in association with a coupler construction of the class described comprising a cylindrical shell, a fitting including Aa centrally -apertured plug closing one end of said shell, the opposite end of said shell being provided with an internal tapered seat deflningv a cavity, and a central opening to permit insertion and removal of a coacting male coupler unit, a ball cage comprising a sleeve slidable in said central opening, said sleeve having an outstanding flange, a coiled spring in said shell resting at one end against the flange and at the opposite end against said fitting, said sleeve having friction ball openings, and a plurality of friction balls mounted in said openings, together with a male coupler unit comprising a stem projecting into said shell by way of said flanged sleeve'and then into the aforementioned fitting, said stem having a portion with which said balls coact, said reduced portion constituting a shoulder, and a collar surrounding said reducedv portion and resting on said shoulder, said collar coacting with said lballs for projecting and retracting same at predetermined periods of operation.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a male coupler unit for use in association with a female unit of the class described comprising a rectilinearly straight and centrally bored stem, said stem being provided at one end with a screw threaded nipple for attachment to a hose, the intermediate portion being reducedin diameter and defining a shoulder, and a ring-like collar having friction sliding fit on said reduced portion and engaging said shoulder.

3. As a new article `of manufacture and as a component part of an air hose coupler construction of the class described, a. female coupler unit comprising a cylindrical shell having an opening at one end for insertion and removal of a coacting male unit,-a fitting plugged into the opposite end of said shell, the interior end of said shell being provided with a shoulder, a washer in said shell seated on said shoulder, a packing ring -in said shell and superposed on said washer, and a sleeve mounted in said shell and engaging said packing ring, said sleeve being held in place by said fitting, and a spring pressed valve element in the chamber defined by said sleeve, tting, and packing ring.

4. Coupler means for air lines and the like comprising a female coupler unit embodying a cylindrical shell constituting a casing, a screw-threaded fitting threaded into one end of the shell and closing the same and provided with a central aperture to accommodate an air supply pipe or the like, the opposite end of the shell being centrally apertured to accommodate a sliding sleeve and an insertable and removable male coupler unit, the last-named end portion of the shell being interiorly tapered to provide a friction ball reception and expanding and contracting cavity, a ball cage comprising an annular sleeve slidable in said central opening, the inner conned end portion of said sleeve being provided with an outstanding annular iiange, a coiled spring in said shell and resting at one end against the flange and at `its opposite end against the fitting, said sleeve being cylindrical in cross section and provided with friction ball openings, a plurality of friction balls mounted in said ball openings and coacting With the tapered Wall portion of the cavity, a male coupler unit embodying a stem, said stem being insertable into the shell by Way of said central opening and sleeve fitting into said opening, and

a collar surround-ing said stem and fitting slidably within the bore of said sleeve. t

ROBERT THEODORE MCELHOSE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le vof this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 Number Name Date 651,747 Cederstrom June 12, 1900 1,179,971 Stichler 1;--- Apr. 18, 1916 1,337,288 Stichler Apr. 20, 1920 2,069,377 Matthiessen Feb. 2, 1937 

